Viola plant named ‘Heartthrob’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Viola  plant characterized by large heart shaped leaves with a large center purple brown blotch and deep green edges, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Viola spp.

Variety designation: ‘Heartthrob’.

Parent variety: ‘Mars’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Viola spp. and given the cultivar name of ‘Heartthrob’. Viola is in the family Violaceae. The new cultivar originated as a tissue culture mutation of Viola ‘Mars’ (an unpatented plant) in a laboratory. This mutant has proved stable since it was discovered in September of 2004.

Compared to the parent plant, Viola ‘Mars’ the new variety has larger leaves with a larger, darker blotch and a deeper, bluer green edge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new Viola is distinguished by:

-   -   1. large heart shaped leaves with a large center purple brown         blotch and deep green edges, and     -   2. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the foliage and habit of a two-year-old Viola ‘Heartthrob’ in April in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows the flowers in April in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Viola based on observations of two-year-old specimens grown in the ground in full shade in the trial fields in May in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 5 to 9.         -   Size.—35 cm wide and 20 cm tall.         -   Form.—Clumping.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Stems.—None, rosette forming.         -   Roots.—Fibrous network, Greyed Brown 199D. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Arrangement.—Basal.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 9 cm long and 7.5 cm wide.         -   Margins.—Crenate.         -   Apex.—Acute to acuminate.         -   Base.—Cordate and attenuate.         -   Petiole.—Grows to 21 cm long and 4 mm wide, somewhat fleshy,             flattened on top surface, pubescent when young, glabrous and             glossy when mature, closest to Yellow Green 148B.         -   Venation.—Palmate.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both surfaces.         -   Color.—Topside — ¾ of the leaf center between Brown 200A and             Greyed Purple 187A and Green 137A on edges; bottom side —             Yellow Green 147B with dark blotch near base between Brown             200A and Greyed Purple 187A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Solitary, appear before the leaves fully expand.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 6.5 cm long, 2.5 mm wide, glabrous,             between Greyed Green 197A and Grey Brown 199B. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—12 mm long and 6 mm wide.         -   Shape.—Ovoid, down facing.         -   Color.—Violet 86B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Bisexual, zygomorphic.         -   Size.—25 mm long and 25 mm wide.         -   Corolla description.—5 separate petals, unequal, obovate,             entire, obtuse, glabrous on both sides, 20 mm long and 10 mm             wide; uppermost pair reflexed and erect, lateral pair             spreading, lowermost spurred (10 mm long and 4 mm wide); top             and bottom side colors: uppermost pair Violet 86C, lateral             pair Violet 86D on top ¾, bottom ¼ White 155D, lowermost             Violet 86C on top ⅔, bottom ⅓ White 155D with darker veins,             Violet Blue 89C, spur between Greyed Green 197A and Violet             Blue 89C.         -   Calyx description.—5 sepals, 9 mm long and 3 mm wide,             entire, tip acute, glabrous and Yellow Green 147A inside and             out.         -   Pistil description.—1 in number, 5 mm long and 2.3 mm wide,             ovary 2 mm long and 2.3 mm wide, Yellow Green 148A; stigma             and style 3 mm long, Yellow Green 145D.         -   Stamen description.—5 in number, 3.5 mm long, filaments 2 mm             long, flattened, Yellow Green 147D on the inside and Violet             86A on the back; anthers 1.5 mm long, Yellow Orange 23A;             pollen not seen.         -   Bloom period.—March to April in Canby, Oreg.         -   Lastingness of bloom.—Each flower lasts about a week.         -   Fragrance.—None. -   Fruit: A 3 chambered capsule, Yellow Green 147A. -   Seed: Little produced, 1 mm round, Black 202A. -   Pest and diseases: Viola are troubled by aphids, snails and slugs.     This variety has no known resistances. 

1. A new and distinct Viola plant as herein illustrated and described. 